Messianic imperative

Responding to my post Easter message Schneur Zalman of NY wrote:
Jewish history is replete with honest Messianic hopes. This includes many Zaddikim who as the Rebbe understood that this world could not continue for long. Such people included the Shinyaver Rav Yecheskel Shraga Halberstam who predicted Moshiach would arrive in 1902. The Minchas Elozor of Munkatch a serious Halachic decisor as well as Hassidic master (ironically his father opposed the efforts of the Shinyaver Rav) also orchestrated a Messianic campaign after World War I and traveled to Israel in the 1930's to meet the fabled kabbalist Rabbi Alfandari the Sova kaddisha in order to unite the tow oroth of Mizrach and Maarac as rabbi Or haChaim hakadosh Benattar and the holy Baal Shem Tov were supposed to meet for the same goal.

The holy Koshnitzer Rebbe Hofstein Reb Arelle also begged G-D for Moshiach or there would be no Jews left to greet him. In our time the saintly Lelever Rebbe wanted an Atomic War in 1962 as the world had no right to exist.

Among Mithnagdim the Chofetz Chaim and heilike Oshmener Rav Mordechele also initiated Messianic campaigns. How fast we forget about the Chofetz Chaim's campaign to welcome Mashiach. He established the Kodshim Kollel in Radin for this purpose as well as other peulos.

So the response of the 6th and 7th Rebbe's to the Holocaust was not only proper but in line with Jewish tradition. It�s the rest of the frum world who had gotten so comfortable in the gashmiyuth (material world) of the West that forgot the Messianic imperative. Others in the Mizrachi pinned their hopes on the new Jewish state. Still other Gedolim put Mashiach aside and concentrated on Torah Lishmo etc. But the Rebbe was no imposter or fraud. He was raising the centuries old Jewish hope for geula because it could not go on.

It was many foolish Lubavitchers who taking advantage of the Rebbe's illness proclaimed HIM to be the Messiah. Halvai bechayav. But alas it was not meant to be. We await a new "sanigeron shel israel"!